The rookies all lined up wearing orange game pads for one practicethis week and the veterans remained in their black shorts. RyanGrice-Mullen simply stood on the sideline. Right place, right time.
Itwas the right spot for the gifted wide receiver, seeing as though hehas been nursing a hamstring injury the last two days at the Lions'training camp in Abbotsford.
But where he stood represents what he could mean to the offence of the CFL team this season.
Somewhere in-between on the field.
Somewhere between unproven prospect and potential standout.
The22-year-old is at only his first CFL training camp yet, because so muchof what the Lions hope to accomplish offensively is centered aroundhim, the receiver with the brown-tipped dreadlocks is being treatedlike a proven veteran.
The biggest move made by GM/coach WallyBuono in the off-season, which resulted in the release of JasonClermont and insertion of Paris Jackson at slotback, doesn't happen ifGrice-Mullen is less than ordinary during his brief indoctrination tothe three-down game late last season.
It was during a stretchwhere Grice-Mullen had a pair of 100-yard receiving contests and showedthe vertical stretch possibilities that could be added to the Lions'offence that come from a 4.4-second runner in the 40-yard dash.
Butif the move to put Jackson inside is putting any undue strain onGrice-Mullen to produce and give the Lions an outside home run threatthat has been missing for years, it's hardly apparent.
He mayonly have three games of regular- season experience as a CFL starterand two in the playoffs, having joined Sept. 9 after the Lions gave theWinnipeg Blue Bombers a sixth-round draft pick in April for hisnegotiation-list rights.
To Grice-Mullen, there were many bigger challenges in college at Hawaii.
"Myfirst game I played USC and my second was against Michigan State. Itain't no pressure," he said Wednesday. "I thought I did well last yearfor somebody who had never played in the CFL. I don't feel like there'spressure as to whether I can play at this level."
Pressure istrying to land a scholarship while playing three positions other thanreceiver on his high- school team in Rialto, Calif., that went 1-19during Grice-Mullen's last two seasons.
Still, those five gameslast year were enough for the Lions to quickly offer him a contractextension over the winter to replace the deal that runs through theupcoming season.
However Grice-Mullen turned them down. He alsowouldn't comment Wednesday when asked if the NFL remains on his radareven though he was cut in camp last year by two clubs.
"This is my focus right now," he said.
Thatwill suffice at present for the Lions, who are trying to build areceiving corps around Jackson and Geroy Simon, but also pick fromreturning veterans Cory Rodgers and Jerel Myers and three promisingrookie imports.
Getting Grice-Mullen to camp in any capacity isinfinitely better than putting him on the field and hoping for results,as was the case last year.
"When Ryan joined us he was able tograsp concepts that were assigned to him without understanding thebigger picture," said receivers coach Jacques Chapdelaine. "When youjoin a team halfway through the season, that happens. But having him intraining camp gives him a perspective on what we do. He picks things upvery quickly. Now he gets an idea of the big picture."
And the biggest move the Lions made in the offseason starts to make a little more sense.
lullrich@theprovince.com
Camp calendar: Day 4
Players in camp: 75
Cuts: None
Injuries:WR Ryan Grice-Mullen (hamstring), TB Emmanuel Marc (leg), LB JasonArakgi (hip; received MRI), DL Jon Pierre-Etienne (shoulder), DL GaryButler (shoulder), OL Vaughn Lesuma (leg).
